The present invention fulfills a need for a tool that allows a drinker to “shotgun” a beverage with greater safety and cleanliness. “Shotgunning” is a means of consuming a canned beverage by a particular technique typically involving puncturing the side of the beverage can while under pressure.
The drinker tilts the can and punches a hole near the bottom of the can, typically puncturing the can through the small pocket of trapped air in the can. The drinker then places the resulting hole to their lips and tilts the can upright and opens the pull-top of the can. The combined effect of gravity and the pressurization change occurring when the pull-top of the can is operated causes the beverage to exit the can through the punctured hole and into the drinker's mouth very rapidly.
Prior techniques for puncturing the can involve the use of a sharp or improvised object such as a key or a knife. As a consequence, these prior techniques render the puncturing action dangerous, particularly when conducted in crowded areas, such as tailgating events and college gatherings. In particular, there is often significant difficulty safely securing the key or knife while drinking the beverage following the puncturing of the can. Furthermore, the prior techniques often leave dangerous sharp edges around the hole placed to the drinker's mouth.
Prior techniques are also ill-suited for providing a consistently shaped hole, often causing spillage of the beverage, particularly if the beverage is pressurized. Finally, the inconsistent shape of the punctured hole often forces the drinker to manually peel back sections of the can to enlarge the hole, occasionally lacerating the drinker's hands, particularly if the drinker is in a crowded environment and is thus subject to jostling by others.
Thus, there remains a need for a small, portable tool, suitable for use in crowded environments, having the advantages of safer puncturing, reduced spillage, and more uniform hole sizing.